Tasmanian salmon companies suspected of selling diseased fish

Tasmanian salmon companies are suspected of selling diseased fish to consumers. The suspicion follows a recent bacterial outbreak that led to the mass death of Atlantic salmons in several pens of southern Tasmania. At least 5500 tonnes of fish had to be dumped at local waste facilities in February alone, resulting in oily globules washing up on multiple beaches near Hobart. Reacting to the disaster, federal Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie said that some documents from 2014 raise questions about operating procedures at Huon Aquaculture, the main Tasmanian aquaculture company, and suggest it may even sell diseased fish to consumers. One of the documents specifies that in any large mortality event, “as many fish as possible” should be recovered and placed into an ice slurry for examination and potential processing. Huon Aquaculture said the documents are outdated, and they only harvest live fish for human consumption under rigorous food safety standards. However, the company did not provide details on its current procedures to the press. Salmon Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin confirmed the state’s industry only harvests live fish “perfectly suitable for human consumption” and reassured the public that the bacterium responsible for the recent mortality event, RLO (Rickettsia-like organisms), is not transferable to humans. Chemistry professor Oliver Jones (RMIT University) also said that the bacterium that kills salmons does not represent a serious health risk to the public.
However, Mr Wilkie is not convinced by these explanations and calls for an independent inquiry to assess the validity of the documents and the impact of the recent mortality event. The call is supported by Peter George, an independent Franklin candidate and founder of the anti-salmon group Neighbours of Fish Farming, who believes consumers have a right to know if they are buying unsafe fish. The issue is politically charged because major parties have strong connections with the salmon industry. Next week, the federal government will introduce amendments to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act to ensure the future of salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast. Since 2023, the industry has been under intense criticism by conservation groups, with a request to review its practices still unanswered by federal Environment Minister Tanya Pilbersek.